Photographic-printing apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

A. JARAY. PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1902.

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1 me it I f/ 76 6 6 a ja a /Zd// {Inez- W Q C L I 9% @W/QM PATENTED APR.21, 1903.

A. JARAY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION PILE'D SEPT. 22. 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

7 O r. M e v in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED JARAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PHOTOGRAP'HlC-PRINTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,969, dated April21, 1903.

Application filed September 22,1902. Serial No. 124,878. (No model.)

To to whom, it may concerns Be it known that I, ALFRED. JARAY, a subjectof the King of England, residing at London, England, have invented newand useful Improvements in Photographic-Primting Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to certain new and 5 useful improvements inapparatus for printing photographs from negatives, and particularly to amechanism whose prime object is, to obtain a close and uniform contactof the,

printing paper or material over or against the entire surface of thenegative, whereby is eliminated all danger of the existence of airbubbles or portions between thecontacting surfaces of the negative andprinting paper or material.

My invention consists, essentially, in a;

pressure also and concurrently actuating aprime mover or motor that inturn transmits movement to a rolling device which serves as a valve andis adapted to travel along the diaphragm, which closely follows thevalve and presses the sensitized paper or material in wave-like formagainst the negative.

The invention also consists of the parts and the constructions,arrangements, and combinations of parts which I will hereinafterdescribe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout theseveral figures, Figure l is a side elevation of a photograph-printingmachine embodying my invention and showing the elastic diaphragmdeflated. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 1,showing parts of the frame broken away and showing the diaphragminflated to force the sensitized sheet against the surface of thenegative. Fig. 3 is a modification to be referred to.

In the art of printing photographs on a sensitized sheet or surface froma negative it has heretofore been dilficult to hold the paper orsensitized material'in such intimate relation with'the negative that aclose contact is made uniformly over the entire surface of the negative,as there are frequently confined portions of air interposedbetween thesurfaces of the negative and paper or other sensitized surface; Toovercome this objection, I have devised a simple form of apparatus whicheffects the required uniformity of close contact, displacing theportionsof interposed air by a sort of rubbing action and causing the airparticles to be moved away in one direction.

In carrying out my invention I construct a suitable main frame Jotappropriate material anddesired configuration and provide it with meansfor supporting the paper rolls or drums P P, from one of which thesensitized paper or material is unwound and fed to the glass negative orfilm and after being printed upon is wound upon the second drum Pf,preparatory to the succeeding operations of toning, fixing, &c. Theframe J, in fact this whole device, may form a part of an organizedmachine for automatically developing a plate, printing fromthe developedplate or negative, toning, fixing, washing, due, the print, theoperations being continuous and carried on in a dark room insubstantially the customary manner andthe printing effected by lightfrom reflectors suitably disposed to throw the light-rays upon thenegative; but the present invention is not limited in its use to such acombined organized machine, as it may be used as an independent machineor apparatus and the printing done by natural as well as artificiallight. In the drawings and for the purposeof simplicity I have disclosedonly such parts of the machine as are identified with the presentinvention.

In the upper part of the main frame is disposed a surface plate S, andabove this is a framef, adapted to hold, by any suit-able and well-knownmeans, the glass plates, films, or

negatives g. This plate holding frame is hinged, as at g, to enable itto be raised at will for the inspection of the glass plates, films,

or negatives and the sensitized surface below. By detaching its pivotalor hinged connection or by any other well-known method the plateholdingframe may be detached for such ma nipulation as the negativesmayrequire.

Through the surface plate S is made an ICO opening 10, and in linevertically below this opening and bolted or otherwise attached to thesaid plate is a cylinder or chamber 12, into which leads a pipe 14 froma bellows, pump, or other air-compressing device, (not shown,) and fromthe lower portion of the chamber 12 a pipe 'or passage 13 leads to oneend of a cylinder 0, in which operates a reciprocating piston 19, whichis caused to travel in one direction by the fluid-pressure admittedthrough the supply-pipe 14.

Upon the surface plate S and having its edges appropriately secured is aflexible envelop, bag, or sheet d, which I hereinafter refer to as adiaphragm. It ispreferably of an elastic character and is madesubstantially air-tight about the edges. One end portion of thisdiaphragm lies above and in such relation to the opening in the surfaceplate S that the admission of air or pressure to the chamber belowcauses the diaphragm to be inflated and to press the sensitized surfaceuniformly and closely against the adjacent face of the negatives toinsure the best results in printing from the latter.

Upon the main frame below the horizontal plane of the cylinder isappropriately mounted a transverse shaft 16, upon which is a lever a,which is preferably bent something on the order of a bell-crank, saidlever having a short arm a, to which a weight 18 is attached. The longarm of this lever extends upwardly and has mounted in its upper end,which is slotted, a shaft 20, carrying grooved wheels I), one at eachend, which are designed to travel in the trackway formed by the spacedguide-rails j of the main frame. The shaft 20 also carries a lever Z,fulcrumed between its ends on the shaft and having its opposite endsprovided with rollers R B, one preferably somewhat larger than the otheraud both of which are designed to travel upon the upper surface of theinflatable diaphragm in the manner and for the purpose I willhereinafter indicate.

In addition to the foregoing the piston-rod p is pivotally connected tothe lever on at a point between the fulcrum of the latter and the upperend of the lever.

In the operation of the apparatus, assuming air to be the fluid-pressureemployed for inflating the diaphragm, the air is alternately admitted toand exhausted or expelled from the elastic diaphragm by some suchair-compressing device as a bellows, pump, &c., (not shown,) but fromwhich leads the pipe 14. The air entering the chamber 12 is divided, aportion passing to the cylinder 0 to actuate the piston in a outwarddirection,and another portion passes through the opening in the surfaceplate and acting upon the elastic diaphragm to expand and inflate thelatter. The normal position of this diaphragm and of the lever a and itsadjunctive parts is shown in Fig. 1, and when the air is admitted to thediaphragm and cylinder, as before indicated, the piston begins to moveoutward in the cylinder O, thereby rocking the lever a about its fulcrumand causing the rolling valve, which is formed by the rollers R R, tobegin its travel along the upper surface of the diaphragm, so as tosuccessively uncover portions of the diaphragm and expose the same tothe action of the fluid-pressure admitted from beneath one end, and thuscause the diaphragm to press uniformly and closely and with a forwardrolling action against the superposed negatives and effectivelyeliminate by a sort, of forward squeezing action any portions of airwhich may be contained between the surfaces of the diaphragm andnegatives. When the air is admitted to the diaphragm or into the spacebetween the same and the surface plate S, the diaphragm and rollerR areforced upward, thereby rocking the lever Z about its fulcrum anddepressing the roller B, so that it will hold the deflated portion ofthe diaphragm closely upon the surface plate and allow thefluid-pressure to inflate the other portions of the diaphragm, as shownin Fig. 2. The negatives g are appropriately fixed to a glass plate g,through which light, natural or artificial, is admitted when and whererequired. The admission of the fluid-pressure causes the parts to assumethe position in Fig. 2, which shows the diaphragm about fully inflatedand the roller valve at about the end of its outward travel, and todeflate the diaphragm and return the parts to normal position theairpressure upon the piston and diaphragm is relieved, which may be donein several ways-as allowing the bellows to expand if a bellows is usedfor compressing the air, or giving areturn movement to the piston if apump is used for the purpose-when the weight upon the lever a now actsto return the parts to the position of Fig. 1. As the withdrawal of theair or fluid may be accomplished in various ways, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to any particular method orarrangement of parts. In Fig. 3 is one modification which accomplishesthe desired purpose and wherein a slidevalve 40, with ports, is designedto alternately cover and uncover the ends of admission and exhaust pipes42 43, communicating with the chamber. This valve may be actuated by anywell-known arrangement so that its movements may be timed in relation tothe movement of the roller-valve and other parts.

The sensitized paper or printing material extends from the supply drumor roller and between rcllers 6G and thence along the apparatus beneathand close to the negatives, so as to be interposed between the diaphragmand negative when the former is inflated. It is moved forward by someappropriate and well-known paper-feed mechanism (not shown) when thediaphragm is deflated,

The apparatus shown and described is capable of modification withoutmaterially altering the general principle or operation of TIO theinvention. Therefore I do not wish to be understood as confining myselfto the precise means shown for carrying out the objects of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for printing from negatives, an inflatable member, amember traveling in contact with the first-named member and permittingsuccessive portions of said member to be inflated, and means foradmitting a fluid-pressure to the inflatable member.

2. In an apparatus for printing from a negative, the combination ofmeansfor positioning the negative; an expansible member and means foradmitting a fluid-pressure to one side thereof, to cause said member tobe expanded; and a member acting upon the opposite side of theexpansible member and exposing successive portions of the latter to thefluid-pressure.

3. In an apparatus of the character described the combination of anelastic diaphragm and means for producing opposing pressures thereon,one of said pressure means movable relative to the diaphragm and adaptedto relieve the pressure upon successive portions thereof to enable theopposing pressure to expand the diaphragm and force the sensitized sheetagainst the negative gradually from one edge toward the other.

4. In an apparatus for printing from negatives the combination of anelastic diaphragm; means for admitting a fluid-pressure to one sidethereof; means for supporting a negative or negatives in relation to thediaphragm; and a traveling pressure member engaging the opposite side ofthe diaphragm and adapted to remove the pressure from successiveportions of one side of the diaphragm to enable the pressure upon theopposite side to force successive portions of sensitized surface incontact with the negative.

5. An apparatus for printing from negatives,comprisin g an elasticdiaphragm; means for admitting a fluid-pressure to one side thereof;means for supporting negatives in relation to the diaphragm; and aroller-valve adapted to travel upon the opposite side of the diaphragmand to uncover successive portions thereof to enable the opposingfluidpressure to expand the diaphragm and force the sensitized paperwith a gradual advancing pressure against the negative.

6. An apparatus for printing from negatives comprising a surface plate;an elastic diaphragm thereon; means for supporting negatives above thediaphragm; means for admitting a fluid-pressure to one side of thediaphragm; a guided traveling valve movable over the other side of thediaphragm and consisting of a rocking lever and rollers at the endsthereof; and connections actuated by the fluid-pressure to move saidvalve simultaneously with the expansion of the diaphragm.

7. An apparatus for printing from negatives comprising a main framehaving a guide and trackway, and a surface plate; an elastic diaphragmfitting over the surface plate and attached at the edges; anair-pressure chamber and means connecting it with one side of thediaphragm; a weighted lever ful crumed on the main frame; a rollingvalve device carried by the upper end of the lever and consisting ofgrooved guide-wheels, a rocking lever and rollers at the ends of thelatter said rollers gradually uncovering successive portions of thediaphragm to permit the air-pressu re to expand the diaphragm and forcethe interposed sensitized sheet in close and uniform contact with thenegative; a cylinder connecting with the air-chamber;

and a piston movable in the cylinder and having a rod connecting withthe weighted lever whereby the rolling valve device is actuated inunison with the expansion of the diaphragm and by the samefluid-pressure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- HGSSBS.

ALFRED JARAY. Witnesses:

ERNEST, F. FOTHERGILL, SIDNEY JOHN SUTER.

